The Woman
by madam-fandom
Summary: When Mark Reynolds goes missing on a simple mission, Maddy is sent into a panic. What's going on? And who is the woman? I shall edit the tense issues soon. PLEASE comment. Just to say that you're having a nice day. Or whatever you think is needed. Muchas Gracias my lovelies.
1. Chapter 1

She came one day. Out of nowhere, she came striding out of the woods with an injured Mark Reynolds in tow. But let's back up. How did he get there, and who is she.

Mark was walking through the forest, looking for a backpack of supplies that was left by a man on the 11th pilgrimage. He was alone and only armed with a sonic gun. He was in a hurry to get back to Terra Nova in time for dinner at the Shannon's house with Maddy. There was a rustling behind him that caused him to turn on his heel. A Slasher bolted out of the brush and shot it's heavily barbed tail at his head. Being the well trained soldier that he was, he dodged it and fired his weapon. Smiling triumphantly, he turned his back on the stunned slasher, forgetting that they travel in groups. This one happened to be with its mate, who was waiting in the bushes right next to him. She sprung on him in a flash. The world spun away from him as he felt his life drain from him. The Slasher's talons pierced his armor and its weight cracked his ribs and snapped his left leg. The last thing he remembered was hoping Maddy would not be allowed to see his body, because this was going to get ugly.

The more interesting part happened after his eyes closed. She came running after her pets, hoping she could share some of their food, but saw that it was a soldier. She whistled to stop her beasts and ran to his side. Something in this young man's face made her want to save him. She fixed him as well as she could, using her combat medic background to save his life. She reset his leg and ribs and sewed the gashes in his chest. Once he was stable, she lifted the man with help from the dinosaur and brought him to her 'home'. It was a cave, cold and dark, but a home for now. He did not wake for three days, in that time she came and went, collecting food and running her tests on plants and animals alike.

He woke up on the fourth day at daybreak. His combat training told him to fight this wild looking woman who held him down, but one look in her eyes told him her intentions were good. He froze when he felt the pain in his chest. She frowned when he hissed out a breath and lifted his shirt to see if her stitches had shifted. He gaped at her, not understanding her intentions.

"You are hurt. Let me help" she said in sharp English. He nodded after assessing her. She was slender, but muscled. She had heavy dark hair that framed her angular face. Her skin was a sickening shade of white, but she moved slowly and surely, like she knew what she was doing. Her eyes were unreadable as she scanned his chest, her face taking on a very mask-like form. His head was held still by some kind of mechanism that he assumed stopped him from seeing his injuries. He'd seen Dr. Shannon and Lieutenant Washington do the same thing hundreds of times on his friends who had ugly wounds. He did not want to see what had happened to him. He knew it was from a slasher, and knew it would be ugly, but seeing as he survived the initial attack, he would probably survive. She washed his gash with clean cool water that stung and killed anything that was living in the cut. She was using disinfectant on his chest, he soon realized. That was a trick he'd only seen once.

Wash had told him to lie still. They were out on patrol and had gotten ambushed by Sixers. He had a cut on his arm, not life threatening, but still a good thing to keep under control before it got infected. Wash knew that disinfectant was not a preferable sterilizer, but it worked. When mixed with cold water it was almost painless when applied.

But how did this girl know the trick. He had decided that she was younger than him, maybe Maddy's age. Maddy, the reason he allowed a stranger to dress his wounds.


	2. Chapter 2 Terra Nova

"We have received word that Reynolds has not checked back in from this afternoon." Jim Shannon said in a voice that he hoped didn't sound overly concerned. It wasn't that he was afraid for Mark. He knew that boy could take care of himself; it was concern for his sensitive daughter who always assumes the worst. Mark probably had forgotten to check back in after he returned with the man's backpack.

"He was in Slasher territory. We should wait until sunrise to mount a search party. Or do you think leaving now to look for him would be a better plan, Shannon?" Taylor said with deep sadness staining his tone. This was one of his best soldiers. He was not concerned for him. Mark was smart and resourceful. If something had happened, he was more than equipped to handle it.

"Let me check around the colony for him first, no need to go all out for him if he's not OTG to start with. But if he's not hanging around with my daughter or whatever else he does in his free time, I think going out tonight would be a good idea. He went alone; it was supposed to be twenty minutes then back to Terra Nova to come have dinner at my house this evening." He paused when he realized that he would have to tell her that he was MIA. "Maddy's going to be a mess." He stopped dead, his voice going monotone.

The commander chuckled, "That's your job Shannon. I'll gather up two more for our search party tonight. No medic, he was supposed to only be 2 klicks out. That's more than close enough to get him back to the colony to fix whatever he screwed up."

"I know that Riley and Dunham have been off today and might be interested. I know that they're friends with Reynolds." Jim offered on his way out the door. He rushed down the stairs and jogged off to the barracks, where he found Mark's was vacant. He then went to his house, perhaps he had gone to his house early to help with dinner, or some other way to suck up to Elizabeth. Jim would never admit it out loud until the wedding, but Mark was a great soldier and an even better person. He couldn't ask for a better man to watch his girl fall for.

He opened the front door to his house slowly, hoping that he was sitting in Maddy's room making her laugh or chopping vegetables for Elizabeth. Instead, he saw Maddy look up expectantly from her plex.

"Hey dad. How was your day? And did you see Mark? He's not responding to my messages. I mean, I know he's not supposed to be here for another hour still, but I was wondering if he would come over a bit early to keep my company, because Josh is out with Sky and Zoe looking at some dinosaurs that Marcus has at his lab." Maddy said, trailing off at the end because her father had run an agitated hand through his short hair and rubbed his eye nervously.

"Dad, what's wrong? Did something happen today?" She said, getting up from her seat to give him a hug and comfort. Jim saw that the roles would be switching very soon.

"I'm sure it's nothing. You know that Mark is a great soldier and a fantastic survivalist. Almost nothing can get the drop on him; you know that, don't you Maddy?" Jim said, watching the realization wash over her.

"He was supposed to be picking up supplies that were left in the woods after the 11th pilgrimage came through. It was supposed to take twenty minutes. He failed to check in at 1600 and it was brought to my attention at 1630. It is now 1700, and Taylor and I are going to look for him. We only waited so long because we thought he had forgotten to check in. He did the same thing just yesterday, except he was at the lab visiting you." Jim said, trying to find words to make the terrified look on his daughter's face go away.

"Go, find him. And when you do, tell him to never scare me like this again." She said, half pushing her father out the door, leaving a kiss on his cheek before closing the door.

Jim jogged to the gate, hopped in a rover, and stayed out all night with Taylor, Riley and Dunham, as they searched for anything to show that Reynolds had been there. At 900 the next morning they returned to Terra Nova with nothing. Not a sign that he had been there at all. Mark Reynolds had vanished without a trace.

Over the next three days Jim Shannon would alternate between sleeping and working the search, looking for anything. Reynolds had left nothing in his wake, and every minute that passed lowered the chances of finding him.


	3. Chapter 3

Maddy POV

He had to come back. He had promised that he would never leave her. She called on that promise now, rubbing the necklace that she knew he had the pair to. For her 17th birthday he had gotten her a simple silver chain with a smooth black stone with blue streaks running through it. The blue was the same shade as his eyes. She knew, wherever he was, that he was wearing the same necklace with gold streaks that matched her eyes. She had to hope. There was nothing more powerful, or more dangerous than hope.

On the fourth day of searching, Jim was walking through the forest when something gold caught his eye. On the ground, almost as if someone had left it there purposely, was a necklace that he recognized as the necklace that Reynolds always wore. Maddy had the pair. Jim picked it up, placing a flag in its place, but more importantly taking note of the location. It had most certainly not been there earlier that day when he walked the same path.

He called the team back in, It was done.

Maddy had been pacing the common area infront of the gates for the past four days. She would keep pacing until Mark came back. Her father exited the rover like the day of searching had aged him. Maddy ran to him, hoping for something. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace. Mark's necklace.

The world spun and Maddy fainted in the most hopeless way Jim had ever seen. He caught her limp form, hoping that this painful limbo would end soon.

Maddy woke up in her bed with Mark's necklace in her hand. She was his girlfriend first, but she was a scientist second, and if he had lost this necklace, it would stand to reason that it would be broken, or scratched, or at least covered in dirt. Instead, the necklace was prefect, not a scratch or a bend in the chain even though it was delicately made. Mark had bent it accidently while he was putting it on the other day, but even that was gone. She held it close to her face, imagining the man that it belonged to, but noticed scratches on the side of the chain. Very carefully, she left her house and went to the lab, where she looked closer at the scratches. They read, in jagged, foreign handwriting: **He is alive. Tell no one. **

Maddy kept to the necklace and told no one. She stood silently as her father apologized profusely and her mother made her tea. She knew he was at least alive. That was enough. She spent her days by the gate, watching the tree line for his tall muscular silhouette to return home.


	4. Chapter 4

Mark did not know how many days it had been, and while the girl was a very good medic, she was an awful conversationalist. He noticed on his second day awake that she prayed at an unmarked alter twice a day. He knew she was speaking, but it was a garbled language that he didn't know. She would stand with tears in her eyes, like she was praying to the dead. He knew that she was brilliant in the most basic sense. Finally, the limbo ended.

"You must return to your people. Tell me about them." She never spoke about herself, only ever used the command form to tell him what to do, and was always respectful. She treated him like he was more important than her, even though he was the one who was saved.

"I'm a corporal from a settlement not far from here called Terra Nova." Mark started slowly.

"Terra Nova? With Commander Taylor and Lieutenant Washington?" She said hesitantly, like it was too good to be true.

"Only Commander Taylor now. We lost Wash last year. She was murdered to save the colony." Mark divulged, worried that he'd said too much. Instead she smiled, like he was a child telling stories.

"You must return to your people, and I must meet with the commander." She said with finality. "We shall leave at daybreak tomorrow. You should rest. It's a hike"

Mark watched her leave the room and close the curtain that divided the cave. Through the crack he watched her sit down on the ground, clasp her hands together and pray in thanks. For what he had yet to discover.

The next morning she pulled aside the curtain to find him sleeping still. In his sleep he murmured "Maddy, I'm coming. I'm coming home Maddy. I love you," and she smiled. This was not the first time he had spoken of this Maddy in his dreams. She woke him and fed him breakfast before helping him to his feet. He was then handed a crutch. He noticed that her cave was bare, all of her belongings were in her backpack, expertly packed and strapped to her small form. Now that he was standing in the sunlight, he could see that her hair had streaks of color inter twined with the dark brown. Red and gold mixed with purple and blue all under the façade of plain brown. Some places seemed almost black, all of it in wavy ringlets like Maddy's. Standing he noticed that she was taller than he had thought, maybe as tall was Washington was, maybe a bit taller. He also noticed that she was stronger than he had realized, probably explaining how she had moved him through the forest to her cave.

"Here is your pack. What's your name, soldier? Doesn't your mother put your name on all your stuff?" she teased, the first time she had spoken freely to him. He took his pack, noticing that all of his gear was still in the same place, including his gun and amo.

"My name's Mark Reynolds, miss. And I don't have a mother. She died when I was just a baby. I left my family behind in 2149. How about you? What's your deal?" He asked, not even knowing her name. He noticed that her face had briefly looked shocked when he said his name but it happened so quickly, he couldn't be sure that it had happened.

"Sorry to hear about your family, Mark. And you'd never believe me if I told you who I was, so I won't waste the oxygen. But don't worry; I suppose I'll tell at some point soon. I've been alone with the dinosaurs for so long I was forgetting what being human felt like." She smiled and it lit up her eyes. For the first time he realized that they were the exact same shade as his grandfathers, light green that was blue and grey at the same time. The second he decided that they were green, they looked blue, and one they looked blue, they looked grey, then green. How strange.

"Well Terra Nova is just a few klicks this way. We should make it home in time for lunch. So how do you know Commander Taylor?" he asked lightly.

Her face darkened at the name Taylor. "The commander and I have never met, and for his sake, I hope his heart can take it. I sure am going to be a hell of a shock to him. You see Mark, when you left 2149; you left that universe and entered into a parallel one. There are an infinite number of parallel universes where the difference between them is so small, it might just be one person living or dying." She did not elaborate on this. Mark looked confused, but soon winced. He was hobbling along next to him on his crutch. His chest was heavily bandaged, giving him neither pain nor trouble. His leg was another story. It hurt like hell, but he could tell that it had been reset properly. It was in a brace to keep it from moving while he walked, but he could feel that no matter how tightly she had done the wrapping, it was going to hurt. She reached to her pack, pulling out a wooden container holding small irregular pills. She handed him two and watched him take them. She watched him with concern, as though she was honestly concerned for him.

After a few hours she stopped. They were at the edge of the forest before the field before the towering gates of Terra Nova.

Mark watched her take a deep breath and murmur under her breath in the same strange tongue that he's heard her speaking earlier. It was a sharp language, and even though her face was serene, her words sounded like fighting words.

"Pardon?" Mark said, trying to worm information out of her. She just smiled and gestured to the field "Shall we?"

Together they walked into the sunlight. She walked proudly, like a soldier, while Mark followed on his crutch. The short 100metre walk seemed like a lifetime. She walked slowly with her arms at her side, not in a surrender position, but in one of the utmost respect. She kept her head bowed and Mark noted that she had pulled her hair into a severe ponytail at the back of her head, and for the first time he noticed how she looked vaguely similar to the late Alicia Washington.

After an eternity the pair reached the gates. Mark saw Maddy looking shocked on the other side of the gate, and as it rose, he couldn't help but see this as a massive metaphor for his life. Something was always keeping him away from the girl he loved, but no more. He had realized just how much he needed her, and apparently how much she needed him. She was barefoot in her sweatpants and a tank top, her hair looked like it had been days since she had washed it or brushed it, and her eyes were bloodshot, and Mark thought that she had never looked more beautiful. Their eyes locked and they both broke into smiles.

**A/N Hope it's good. Be sure to review if you have time. **


	5. Chapter 5

Once the gate had opened Maddy flew through them and held Mark close, inspecting him for any lasting damage. Mark was then encircled by his friends and commanding officers, all welcoming him back and wishing him well. The girl who saved his life stood silently off to the side, outside the gates. She stood at attention, her feet shoulder width apart, her hands clasped infront of her and watched the joyous reunion. Finally, the shock of seeing Mark again wore off and people began to let him breathe again. But not Maddy. Maddy sealed her lips to his and pulled him in for a long kiss. As they kissed, life seemed to flow into them from each other, finally letting the strain of the last week show. They pulled apart and Maddy gave him a hug, whispering into his ear, "I knew you would come back to me. Always," to which he responded, "Always."

Commander Taylor climbed the steps to his command tower with Jim Shannon in tow, both walking lightly with relief. Commander turned to address the crowd with Jim in his spot and Luntenint Washington's spot vacant. The commander raised his hands for quiet.

"I am extremely pleased to welcome back Corporal Mark Reynolds to Terra Nova after being missing in action for almost a week. As much as I'm sure Reynolds would love to tell his story to each of you individually, I must ask that we all let him relax for at least tonight and tomorrow. He has been through something of an ordeal and has sustained injuries. And regardless, I get to hear his story first." The commander finished with a chuckle, motioning for the crowd to disperse. Taylor walked down the stairs to find Mark waiting to talk to him, but the commander raised his hand and said, this can be dealt with tomorrow, after the doc had checked you out and you've gotten some proper rest. And now that I'm on the topic, I'd like to know who patched you up. I don't recognize that fine work as your own, corporal." The commander ended with a smirk.

Mark laughed and responded, "That girl over there saved my life. I would not be here today if not for her." He pointed to the small woman who was leaning against the open gate frame, watching the exchange. She looked deadly and powerful, and for the first time, Mark realized the massive knife that she had strapped to her leg. He was suddenly sure that his initial assumption that she was harmless was incorrect.

Commander Taylor walked to her and put out his hand to shake hers. She shook it like he was a hero to her, like she couldn't believe she'd gotten lucky.

"My name is Nathaniel Taylor. Welcome to Terra Nova. I owe you the life of one of my best men." At this Mark blushed. Praise like that from Taylor wasn't just handed out. "Is there anything you would like? Or may I have the honor of welcoming you to Terra Nova as a colonist." He smiled at her reaction. Her mouth hung open and her arms dropped from their mock defensive position to her sides.

"My name is a long story, as is who I am. But if you would let me live in Terra Nova that would be the best present I've ever received. And may I offer my sincerest condolences to you concerning the death of Alicia. I wish I could have met her personally. She is the best of my family. I someday hope to be marginally as amazing as she was."

Commander Taylor looked shocked at this girl. Very few people who knew Wash personally felt comfortable calling her by her first name. Even fewer families wanted their children to be like the feared Alicia Washington. This girl must have had some connection to his lutenint. He would just have to figure out what this connection was.

"Well for tonight you may stay in a guest quarter until we can find a place for you to stay permanently. Goodnight miss…" Taylor ended awkwardly.

"I will explain who I am tomorrow. That is a promise sir. And may I say that you are every bit as good as my mother promised and every bit honest as my father distained." She walked away on this note, her head invisible in the darkness and her backpack in her hand as she walked to her temporary home. The commander had no response to her comment, so he turned back to Reynolds, but saw that he was walking away, hand in hand with Maddy Shannon. The commander leaned against the wooded support beam and smiled to himself.

**A/N Be sure to Review! Sorry about the short chapters. I'm hoping to make them longer.**


	6. Chapter 6

The fear and anxiety of the last few days lifted as he walked back to the Shannon's house. Maddy's smile had found strength in him that he didn't know he had. His was hyper-aware of his surroundings. He could smell the flowers that Maddy had woven into her hair earlier that day. He could see the lines in her palms where her nails had pressed into them in nervousness. He could still taste her on his lips, the smell of her lingered on his combat fatigues. He could feel the energy flowing between them, and he loved every bit of her.

"I lost my necklace, Maddy. I'm so sorry. It must have gotten ripped off when the slashed attacked me. I'm sorry." She looked into her eyes and saw a smile. She reached to her neck and unclasped his necklace from her neck. She reached around his neck and fastened it. She left her arms around his neck. They were standing on the Shannon's porch, lost in each other's eyes. He put a finger to her chin and tilted it up to be just a hairs length away from his.

"Maddy Shannon, I will always come back to you. Always." And with that he pressed his lips to hers, put his hands on her slender hips and basked in her warmth. Between kissed Maddy whispered, "Never do that to me again." And Mark nodded, not ever planning on leaving her side again. She was his sanity, his reason to live, his best friend, and someday would be his wife. They would have stayed that way forever, had Jim Shannon not opened the front door then slammed it loudly in an effort to get the picture out of his mind. His little girl kissing a soldier on the front porch. The two pulled apart laughing. Mark opened the door for her and followed her on his crutches. He leaned his crutch up against the wall and joined the Shannon's at the table. He ate everything on his plate in record time, and had seconds and thirds. Finally after eating, he told his tale to the family, cutting the attack down to a minimum to not scare Zoë. He told them how he had been attacked by a single slasher but had stunned it and gotten stupid, and how it had gotten him off guard. His story then skipped to the cave, cutting out the gore for Maddy and Zoe's sakes. He told them how the girl had surely saved his life, nursed him back to health and brought him home when he was stable enough to walk. How he didn't know her name, he told them how she was an anomaly, but finally made Maddy's day by telling how he spoke in his sleep of only her. Maddy blushed, but looked pleased, while Jim shook his head, preparing for the worst.

After dinner, Elizabeth persuaded Mark to let her see the extent of his injuries. Not make a trip to the clinic, just a quick assessment to see if there were any immediate emergencies. After much nagging and haranguing, Mark agreed. Zoe had gone to bed early, Josh was out with Sky, and Jim was on patrol until nine, so it was just Maddy, Mark and Elizabeth.

"I'm going to have to ask you to remove your shirt If I'm going to assess those gashes, Mark." Dr. Shannon said, glancing at Maddy slyly. Mark shrugged, unzipping his camouflage coat and finally pulling off his olive colored t-shirt to reveal his chest. It was covered with bruises, bandages and some horrific looking scratches. Maddy gasped and said, "My god, Mark," while walking over to him. He looked into her eyes.

"I'm fine Maddy. Really. The girl fixed me up. Right doc?" he said, glancing at Elizabeth. She ran her eyes over his gashes.

"Sit down Mark. I'm going to have to remove this bandage to see this cut here." She motioned to the deepest gash that was covered in a bandage. "Maddy, you don't have to stay if it makes you uncomfortable," Mark said, knowing her hatred of all things injury. She shook her head. Mark took it as blind concern for him, but Elizabeth knew it was a clever way of staying near him while he was without a shirt. Elizabeth shot her a look, causing Maddy to blush, but shake her head. Elizabeth realized that she had been wrong about her daughter's intentions. Maddy would not be away from his side regardless of the circumstances. That fact that he was shirtless was just an added bonus. Elizabeth pulled off his bandage carefully, apologizing when he winced. She smiled when she saw the wound. She didn't care who this girl was, her work was beautiful. Elizabeth immediately wanted her as a medic. It would save her a ton of time cleaning up sloppy work from other medics. She put a fresh bandage on the cut before feeling his chest, apologizing in advance for touching his cracked ribs, however lightly. She felt the crack, but it was so beautifully set she decided not to touch it. Whoever this girl was, she knew when she was doing. She wrapped it in tape to keep it steady, and instructed him to put his shirt back on.

"Now for the uncomfortable part. Mark, you broke your femur, that's the thigh bone. I need to see the skin around the break to determine if there are shards floating around in your leg." Maddy paled at this idea, but Elizabeth continued, "Put on a pair of Josh's shorts and I'll meet you in my bedroom for the assessment. Sorry Mark." She looks apologetic, but Mark understands, He needs this looked at, and he'd rather it be Doctor Shannon, who he knew was the best. He stood, nodding to the doctor. He kissed Maddy lightly on the cheek, whispering that he would be right back. He changed into the shorts as quickly as he could without hurting himself. He opened the door to let Doctor Shannon in and watched as she closed it behind her. He gave her serious credit. The woman was extremely professional. She removed the bandage and had him sit on her bed, watching the obvious discomfort spread across his face. She assessed his leg as quickly as she could, noting again how perfectly this girl had lined up his bone. Only at the very end did she graze her finger near the break, causing Mark to suck in a breath. Knowing that Maddy was surely listening at the door, Elizabeth asked him if he was alright, gesturing to the door.

"I'm fine Maddy. I'll be out in just a minute. Relax. Take a breath." Mark said loudly enough to be heard through the door. He could hear Maddy inhale loudly for his benefit and Doctor Shannon laugh softly.

"I'm done Mark. I think you're going to be just fine." She said as she left the room and closed the door. Mark relaxed a bit more, knowing that he was going to be fine. He could hear Maddy grilling her mother for info and smiled at her concern for him. It was cute. He pulled off josh's shorts and slipped back into his combat pants, glad he would have time off before he had to put them back on again and face danger. For now he just wanted to be with Maddy and her family. Even though Josh was supposed to play protective big brother, Mark had won him over, and they frequently played sports together to amuse Maddy and Josh's girlfriend, Sky. Josh was pretty good, but compared to Mark's strength he didn't have a prayer. Zoe liked Mark as well. He was always kind to her, and he treated her like she was his own sister. He was so fun to play with and knew all about dinosaurs. Elizabeth Shannon liked Mark as well. He was a nice boy, and he was always helping around the house. She liked how protective he was of Maddy and Zoe, and most of all how he made her happy, because that was all Elizabeth really cared about. Jim was the only Shannon that Mark hadn't won over yet. Or so he thought. Jim had been watching the boy while he was with Maddy, and he never tried anything sketchy, and he never failed to make his eldest daughter smile. To be honest, he liked Mark, but he would never admit that, at least not until they got married. There was no question in Jim's mind that Mark would propose to his daughter soon.

Mark reentered the living quarters of the Shannon house to see Maddy sitting on the couch leaning on her father's shoulder. The look on Mr. Shannon's face stopped him cold, but Maddy laughed, thawing him out. She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the other end of the couch. They sat close to each other and said nothing, just enjoying each other's closeness. Finally Mark looked up and saw that it was ten o'clock at night. He got up from the couch and said his goodbyes to Mr. and Dr. Shannon, thanking them for dinner and for checking his injuries out. He started to say goodbye to Maddy, but she was in her room rummaging through her drawers. He realized that she was packing overnight gear.

"Maddy, what are you doing? And where are you going?" Mark asked, nervous to hear her answer.

"I can't let you be all alone tonight. What if you need something and can't get it. I'm coming to stay with you for tonight at least. My mom even thinks it's a good idea, so don't go saying that it's unnecessary." Maddy said, smiling so it lit up her eyes. Mark smiled in return; he wasn't arguing that his awesome girlfriend shouldn't stay the night at his house. And she was right, he shouldn't be alone. They walked through the living room to the front door before Mark felt Jim Shannon's hand on his shoulder.

"We'll just be a second Maddy; I just need a word with Mark before you go. Why don't you wait outside?" Jim said, his voice not really making it a suggestion and more an order. Maddy nodded and glanced at Mark, and upon receiving a nod from him, slipped out the front door.

"Mark, you're a good kid, and I trust you. Mostly. Just remember my initial warning. I have worked a gun longer than you've been alive, have a short temper when it comes to my family, and tend to hold grudges. Don't do anything you shouldn't. Maddy's only seventeen." Jim didn't have to say it. Mark understood. Don't try anything funny or you will pay. Mark nodded and turned away from Mr. Shannon, before once again getting stopped by Maddy's father.

"That is to say, I do understand that there is only one bed in the soldier barracks. Relax and heal Mark, You were missed. A lot. And by nobody more than," He didn't say who, he just comically gestured to the front door. Mark smiled and said, "It's good to be back. I missed everyone, especially your daughter. I missed her a lot." He smiled and nodded to the man who totally understood where he was coming from. He slipped out the front door into the pool of light where Maddy stood. He could tell that she had been listening because she blushed when she looked at him. He caught her hand and held it tightly.

As they walked to his house they talked quietly about the stars. They were bright, and Mark saw an opportunity to make Maddy Shannon blush. She had commented about how they were the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

Mark fixed his eyes on her and said, "Second most beautiful." He smiled and looked away. She smiled, blushing as he guessed she would. He opened the door to his room and put Maddy's bag on top of his dresser. Maddy was already in her pajamas, so she left the room so Mark could change. She made hot chocolate for the two of them and smiled when she felt his strong arms lock around her middle.

"I missed you, Maddy," He murmured into her shoulder. She turned with his coco in her hand and almost dropped it when she saw him. He was just in shorts with no shirt, but his leg was so discolored, even outside the bandage. He put a finger under her chin, forcing her to look only at his face.

"I was so worried about you. But now you're back, so drink your hot chocolate." She said, ending with a smile. She slipped out of his arms to run into his room to change into shorts. It was too hot for pants in the middle of the summer. She returned to the kitchen and finished her coco, making sure he finished his, before making him go to bed.

"Stop it; my mom said you need sleep, so no funny business mister." She tried to sound commanding, but Mark just pulled her to his heavily bandaged chest. He would go to sleep, but there was no way he was letting her sleep on the floor.

"Maddy, I've told you a thousand times, the bed is plenty big enough for you to sleep next to me. And I'm not going to pull anything. At least not tonight, too beat up." He said, glancing at his ruined chest with a smirk. "And besides, you know I love you too much to ever make you do something you're not comfortable with. You do know that right?" he searched her face in the darkness and saw something shimmering in the darkness, a tear. He had made her cry. Luckily, before he could get too worked up, Maddy explained.

"It's stupid. It's just you are so good. That's the word. Good. I do know that Mark. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but all I know is that I'm not giving you back." She tightened her arms around him. Mark smiled and pulled her in to his chest. He met her lips with his. Maddy could feel that he was tired. They kissed passionately for a few minutes, before Mark kissed Maddy goodnight and they both fell asleep.

Meanwhile, across town, the girl who had saved Mark Reynolds's life was settling into her house. She knew he looked familiar. She was glad she could finally tell her tale to Taylor tomorrow; she could only hope he would believe her.

**A/N You shan't forget to post a review, for it shall make my day. Thanks my lovelies**


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning she woke up at eight and dressed quickly. After a quick breakfast in the market she climbed the steps to the command center, and she knew all eyes were on her today.

After knocking quietly on the door, it was opened by a familiar man in combat fatigues. She entered the room and stood rigidly next to Mark Reynolds. She knew that she wasn't technically one of his soldiers, but she had a tremendous amount of respect for this man. She had grown up hearing tales of his bravery and quick thinking.

"At ease, take a seat." Taylor said with a raised hand, smiling slightly at the few people sitting in a row behind the pair.

"I have already heard Mark's side of the story, and have the utmost of confidence in him, but I have only one question. Who are you?" The commander looked at her with eyebrows raised, his eyes piercing her like he could will the information out of her.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?" She asked.

"Granted, and there's no need to address me so formally. I'm not your commanding officer." She smiled, not yet he wasn't'

"My story is long, complicated, and impossible. If I tell you, there is no way for you to verify that what I say is the truth. This is for you to decide. And I have one request before I start: Could you please introduce me to my audience?" She gestured to the people behind her, twisting in her chair. Taylor nodded at the row behind her. A strong looking man with a tan and dark hair stood and shook her hand.

"My name is Jim Shannon. I'm chief of security in Terra Nova." He smiled kindly at her and returned to his seat. Next to stand was a woman in combat armor. She was dark skinned with curly hair pulled into a bun. She was short, but clearly strong.

"My name is Laura Riley. I am a soldier and friend of Mark." She nodded to the taller girl and returned to her seat. The third to stand was a girl who was in civilian clothes with her dark wavy hair down in ringlets. She shook the wild girl's hand and smiled shyly before saying, "My name is Maddy Shannon. Thank you. So much." And with that Maddy pulled the larger girl into a tight hug, whispering her thanks in the taller girl's ear. She had startled the other girl, but the wild girl quickly pulled Maddy into a tighter hug, loving the feeling of contact, and trying to forget the past and what the name Maddy Shannon used to mean to her.

The last person to stand was in a lab coat. She had the same completion as the other girl, and similar hair pulled into a bun. She stuck out her hand.

"My name is Dr. Elizabeth Shannon. I'm just here to make sure that you and Mark don't pass out. And by the way, I checked your work on Mark last night. If you'd like to, we need a new combat medic since the lieutenant passed, and you seemed to work well under pressure." Her offer was staggering. The wild girl actually coughed and staggered away.

"Me? Replace The Alicia Washington? We need to discuss this later, but the fact that you even thought that is extremely flattering." The wild girl, so unaccustomed to praise, actually teared up at this inadvertent compliment.

"Now that we are acquainted, I have one more request: no interruptions. No matter how ridiculous or impossible my story sounds, you asked me to tell it, so I will tell it in its entirety. Understood?" she looked around the room, and upon seeing the nods, took a deep breath and began her tale.

"My name is Lana Alicia Washington-Reynolds, that's with the last name hyphenated. My father's name was Peter Reynolds." She paused, glancing at Mark, a silent apology in her eyes.

"He was scum. He claimed to live a life of honor and dignity, but he did nothing but curse the name of Nathaniel Taylor and Alicia Washington. When I was ten, right before I left for the military academy, he left my mom for good. She was always sick, and after I left, I received word that she had died. Her name was Emily Elizabeth Washington. She never spoke when my father was around, but when he was away sending boys to their deaths, she told me and my brother fabulous tales of her sister Alicia Washington and her Commander Taylor. My mother wrote to her sister secretly so she could raise me and my brother to be like Aunt Alicia and Nathaniel Taylor. My brother and I had such fun playing war with our rebreathers on. When I went to the academy though, they removed all of the photographic memories of my brother; the only thing I can remember about him is his name. Mark Reynolds."

Lana stopped there, pausing in her story. She looked at Mark, but his face was unreadable.

"Before I continue, I need to explain why this Mark will never remember me, nor will you Maddy. Even though I was best friends with Maddy Shannon, I need to remind myself about the Haagen principle."

She stood and went to the clear area of the room. She set a disk on the floor and a holoscreen appeared. She began drawing squiggles. There were three. One was wide wavelengths. The next was medium sized, the last in tight squiggles. She smiled at Maddy through the hologram.

"You taught me this, or I suppose, your alternate did. You see a man named Haagen hypothesized that there are many parallel universes, all vibrating at slightly different frequencies. The universe you left vibrated slower than this one." She pointed to the wide squiggle. "And the crack in time accelerated your particles to make them move marginally faster, thus sending you the this parallel universe, but you see, there are an infinite number of universe, and I come from a world like yours, except my mother, your mother Mark, didn't die after having you, she had one more child." She stopped, looking at Mark.

"After the academy, my brother and I were separated, but we were reunited in Terra Nova. I arrived on the seventh, meeting Mark, who was sent on the fifth. I watched as my darling brother fell for a silent genius who never thought she was good enough. Like me, she blamed herself for things that were not her fault. We became the best of friends, and in the end, I gave my life so that Maddy and Mark could live happily ever after. You see in my world, Lucas Taylor was about to kill Maddy Shannon, right in front of my brother. I would never let that happen. So, without thinking, I grabbed Mark's rifle and shot him. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. I'm not a soldier, I'm a healer. After he was shot, a revolt broke out, lead my by stupid, brave brother. They beat the Phoenix group, but it was too late for me. With his dying breath, Lucas Taylor shoved me through the time crack, sending me spiraling into your dimension of Terra Nova."

She paused there. Letting them absorb this. Finally Maddy Shannon stood and hugged her again.

"Thank you. Thank you so much. And I'm so sorry Lana. I hope you can forgive me." Lana pulled back; surprised that Maddy would assume such a thing.

"One thing I forgot to tell you, if I had to do it all again I would change nothing. Nothing."

There was silence. Lana stood before them, having shown them who she was, now out of secrets to hide behind. The commander dismissed her, and she walked out of the command tower slowly, as though the retelling of the story had aged her.

She returned to her house that was not her home and sat on the end of her bed, head bowed, hands clasped together, praying.

"Let the truth be enough to let me stay. Let me draw courage from your memory Aunt Alicia. Let me attempt to fill the void that you left in this colony. Please let my brother and friend accept me, and above all let me realize that this is not the world I left behind. Thank you Ancestors." She bowed her head and silent tears flowed down her face. Unknown to her, Miss Washington-Reynolds, she was being watched.

"Sir, I feel that spying on her like this is an invasion of her privacy. She is praying, she is clearly not a threat. Please turn it off." Laura Riley spoke when no one else had the nerve to. After leaving the room, she was tracked from the command center to her room, where a camera had been placed. At the time she was a potential belligerent, but now she was clearly not a threat. It was breaking Riley's heart to watch her cry. This girl had bared her soul for a group of strangers.

Then, a shock ran through the small group, all trying to ignore the camera feed on the screen. Lana stood and went right up to the camera. Upon realizing what it was, she smiled a sad smile.

"You are every bit as smart as she promised me, Taylor. But really, bedroom camera? Isn't that a bit low?" She wiped the tears from her face with the heel of her hand. Her smile disappeared and she pulled back a fist and let it fly. The small group watched her fist collide with the camera, the fragile camera crack, and a screen full of static. Again the group sat in silence, this time it was broken my Mark Reynolds. He had not spoken since the story; he had just sat in shock.

**A/N You know the drill. Review it lovelies. or just read. that's nice too.**


	8. Chapter 8

"You have to admit, my sister is pretty cool. Punching a camera? Cool! Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to catch up with my sister. Want to come Maddy?" Mark offered a hand and Maddy obliged.

"Mark, Is she actually your sister?" Maddy asked her eyes full of confusion as they made their way through the market. Mark's eyebrows lowered.

"I don't know. But man, would it be great to have a sister. And she's friends with you, too! We could be a trio, and fight crime! Or boredom!" Mark said with a hopeful smile. Maddy giggled, glad that Mark was accepting his sister. Maddy was sure that the girl had been telling the truth. Nobody lies with that much accuracy. How could she have known so much about everything, even Mark's abusive father?

They came across her at the edge of Terra Nova, in the corner where Josh used to escape from the colony. She was leaning on the bars, looking out at the forest. Mark and Maddy let go of each other's hands and went of either side of her, neither saying a word. The three of them looked out at the forest.

"I don't know what to do." Lana said finally. Mark smiled and put his arm around his sister.

"Well, I personally don't get the confusion. My sister from a parallel universe has come to stay. What are your options, besides staying here and being with us?" Mark smiled kindly at her. She sighed.

"I don't belong here, Mark. I'm not supposed to be here. I'm supposed to be in a completely different universe, where people know me. How can you accept me as you sister? You barely know me!" She shrugged off their comforting arms, pulling away from them.

"Lana, you are his sister, and you are my best friend. Ever had the feeling that you've met someone before, except there's no chance you could have? I feel like I've known you forever, except we just met. Stay here, make a life. You could totally do it. I believe in you." Maddy opened her arms for a hug, and Lana fell into the embrace, weeping with relief. Mark scooped the two of them into a hug, his sister and girlfriend all together. Mark then pulled away quickly.

"So you're staying?" He asked, just to clarify. Lana smiled at her brother. "Of course, silly. And looks like I'm gonna have to room with you until I can get my own place." Mark smiled at the thought of spending time with his sister.

"One more stupid question. Will you marry me?" He got down on one knee and pulled out a ring.

Maddy gasped and put both hands over her mouth, but Lana gets the award for best reaction.

"No! Ew, Mark that's gross! Oh, you don't mean me. Got it." She smiled and left them to be cute.

**A/N So this is the planned last chapter. If you want more, say the word, but you better tell me where I should take it, cause I don't know. And BTW my name's not Lana, I didn't write myself in. I'm not about that life. **


End file.
